UNDERSTANDING BASIC BULLYING For SchoolBased Law Enforcement Officers

UNDERSTANDING BASIC BULLYING For School-Based Law Enforcement Officers

PRESENTER • • • Name: Agency: Background: Experience: Education:

Bullying is more than teasing • “Bullying among children is commonly defined as intentional, repeated hurtful acts, words, or other behavior, such as name-calling, threatening and/or shunning committed by one or more children against another. ” Bullying: A Manual for Schools and Communities, United States Department of Education

Types of Bullying • Physical Bullying • Emotional Bullying • Social Bullying

Types of Bullying – Continued: • Sexual Bullying • Cyber Bullying- Cyber bullying

Cyber Bullying • Cyber bullies sometimes leave their “electronic finger prints” behind. Source: *Kamaron Institute Research, 2007

What is the most common form of abuse? Verbal Abuse is the most common form of abuse. Source: Bullies & Victims: Helping Your Child Through the Schoolyard Battlefield, Fried, 1996

Yesterday’s and Today’s Bullies • Yesterday’s Bullies • Today’s Bullies Source: www. bullyfree. org/about. html 8/26/02

Bully incidents at school The National Education Association: Association • 525, 000 attacks, shakedowns, and robberies occur • 6, 250 teachers are threatened with bodily • 260 are physically assaulted. Source: Bullies & Victims: Helping Your Child Through the Schoolyard Battlefield, Fried, 1996

Victims • victims fight back

Where are Some of These Victims Now?

Statistics • One in seven • 160, 000 • Research shows • Sources: National School Safety Center & National Education Association

STATISTICS – Continued: • 30% of youth in the United States (or over 5. 7 million) • grades 6 -10, 13% • 11% reported being • 6% said that they. Source: Nansel, T. R. , Overpeck, M. , Pilla, R. S. , Ruan, W. J. , Simons-Morton, B. , & Scheidt, P. Bullying Behaviors Among US Youth: Prevalence and Association With Psychosocial Adjustment. , 285(16), 2094 -2100. 2006

Where Does Bullying Occur at School? • 81% of students surveyed, reported bullying occurs on the playground

Where Does Bullying Occur at School? • 57% in the hallways

Where Does Bullying Occur at School? • 50% in the classrooms

Where Does Bullying Occur at School? - Continued • 37% in the lunchroom Source: Facing the Schoolyard Bully: How to Raise an Assertive Child in an Aggressive World, Zarzour, 2000

Where Does Bullying Occur at School? - Continued • 35% on the way home from school

Where Does Bullying Occur at School? - Continued • 28% in the bathrooms • 25% on the way to school

Children Who are the Most Vulnerable • ANYONE can be a VICTIM. Children are victimized because of:

Children’s Attitude on Bullying • Children who watch other children being bullied are afraid to speak out

Children’s Attitude on Bullying - Continued • afraid of rejection. • silently collude with the abuse. ” SOURCE: Bully-Free For Me! Action Plan 2002

Learning Environment “An Atmosphere where children worry “who will be next” encourages absences, truancy, and dropping out altogether”

BLAMING “THE VICTIM” • very common reaction among children • believe that bad things don’t happen to good people, so the victim deserves the abuse

DEFINE & PROCESS BULLYING SCENARIOS – Group Activity and Discussion

SCENARIO #1 • My daughter rides the bus to and from school everyday. Middle and high school students ride the same bus. For the past three weeks, my daughter has been harassed by several high school students who are at least 4 to 5 years older than her. They have threatened to harm her physically and constantly taunting her. The bullies are also harassing other smaller kids on the bus. The school has taken the position that they cannot suspend the kids off the bus because they have not actually carried the threats out yet. This scares me because a few years ago, another student stabbed a middle school student to death. The school took the same position then, and now this students is dead. Please help my daughter and I get through this. (www. bullying. org)

SCENARIO #1 (Discussion) • How would you deal with this situation (Complaint)? • What would you course of action be (Plan)? • What Intervention steps would you take? • What prevention measures would you implement?

WARNING SIGNS: Is a Child being Bullied? • Unexplained bruises • Nightmares • Headaches Source: Facing the Schoolyard Bully: How to Raise an Assertive Child in an Aggressive World, Zarzour, 2000

WARNING SIGNS: Is a Child being Bullied? • Overtired, not sleeping, or not eating • Sullenness or out-of-character behavior

WARNING SIGNS: Is a Child being Bullied? • Temper outbursts, outbursts bullies siblings • Increased absences from school • More time spent in his/her bedroom

WARNING SIGNS: Is a Child being Bullied? • Doesn’t want go to school • Frequently loses toys • Starving when he/she returns home from school to

HELPING the VICTIM • Be Alert • for Warning Signs • Get Parents’ Input • Talk with teachers and staff

HELPING the VICTIM Continued • Examine your own beliefs • Break the Code of Silence • Act Immediately

HELPING the VICTIM Continued • Be a Good Listener • Send a Clear Message

HELPING the VICTIM Continued • Provide Counseling • Empower Parents • Mobilize Witnesses

WARNING SIGNS: of a CHILD BULLY • acts of violence • Engages in conflicts Source: Facing the Schoolyard Bully: How to Raise an Assertive Child in an Aggressive World, Zarzour, 2000

WARNING SIGNS: of a CHILD BULLY - Continued • Associates with violent friends • Complains of treated being poorly

QUESTIONS TO ASK

Why do we tolerate BULLYING? • Cultural ideals about gender roles • Cultural ideas about respect

Why do we tolerate BULLYING? - Continued • School politics • Lack of • Misguided notions about child abuse research Bullying Teacher

BULLYING PREVENTION PROGRAMS • • • Peer Mediation Assertiveness Training Character Education Concerned Adults Attentive (Pro-Active) Law Enforcement Officers

Making a Difference • Rules • Rights • Responsibilities

SUMMARY üWatch for signs of bullying üTake an active role in the child’s activities üActive Listening can be invaluable to you üHelp children build their self-esteem

SUMMARY - Continued üKeep a written record of times, dates, and places where bullying has occurred üInstruct children not to strike back – “REPORT” üSet and practice the 3 R’s

QUESTIONS

RECOGNITION Special recognition is given to Chief Eugene Lewis, Alvin ISD PD, Alvin Texas AND TO Curtis M. Clay of Texas School Safety Center, San Marcos Texas for their professionalism, passion and commitment to the safety of our children and the preparedness of our law enforcement officers to meet today’s challenges. Their individual expertise and experience was invaluable in creating this presentation.

Researched & Developed By George D. Little, C. C. P. S. , MS C & CT, BS, BA, AS & AA Master License Peace Officer PID# 12221 1 SG/E-8 U. S. Army MP (ABN) - Retired Deputy Sheriff BCSO– D. A. R. E. Coordinator - Retired Former Director, Institute for Criminal Justice Studies (Med-Ret) Deputy Chief, INTEL, DHS & Training BCCO PCT#4 Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D. A. R. E. ) Texas D. A. R. E. State Coordinator & Secretary Bexar County D. A. R. E. BOD International Counter-Terrorism Officer Association (ICTOA) – State Coordinator Cell: (210) 379 -4919 E-Mail: glittle 1@satx. rr. com